


Alone Time

by ferociousqueak



Series: Artemis Ryder [1]
Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 15:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10993641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ferociousqueak/pseuds/ferociousqueak
Summary: On the field, Vetra admires Ryder’s single-minded focus, how she seems to tune out distractions to get the job done—whether that job was activating a monolith to fix a planet or finding just the right case of beer to bring back to the Nexus for Kesh. In their moments alone, when that focus is turned on Vetra, it's like the rest of the world ceases to exist.





	Alone Time

**Author's Note:**

> For bloomingcnidarians, who is lovely and deserves nice things :D

Ryder’s hands were steady, despite the tangle of sheets that ensnared both her and Vetra. Her concentration was unbreakable, and each stroke brought her closer to the completion of her task. On the field, Vetra admired Ryder’s single-minded focus, how she seemed to tune out distractions to get the job done—whether that job was activating a monolith to fix a planet or finding just the right case of beer to bring back to the Nexus for Kesh. In their moments alone, when that focus was turned on Vetra, it was like the rest of the world ceased to exist.

“You’re sure about this?” Vetra asked again, still a little nervous.

Ryder’s concentration remained unfazed. “Of course I am. I’ve done it a million times. Just sit back and relax.”

Vetra relaxed her shoulders and the hand that Ryder currently held. She glanced curiously at Ryder while she worked. “It smells funny.”

Ryder grinned. “You get used to it. It only smells like this when it’s wet, anyway.”

Vetra couldn’t help wondering how long it would be wet and what if it got on the sheets? Would she be able to wash it out? Maybe they should’ve tried this on the table first, where the cleanup would be easier.

“I can feel you worrying, you know,” Ryder said without looking up.

Vetra felt her neck warm and she ducked her head. “I’m sorry. It’s just, I’ve never done this before, and I don’t even know if it’s something turians can do without getting an allergic reaction and—”

Ryder laughed and finally looked up, catching Vetra in a quick kiss. “It’s just nail polish, silly. If you don’t like it, we can remove it.” She leaned down and blew warm breath across Vetra’s talons. “Hand me the green one?”

With her free hand, Vetra found the small bottle of light green paint and handed it to Ryder, who quickly unscrewed the cap and in one fluid motion, added a diagonal stripe across the now-lavender middle talon of each hand. It was … rather pretty, actually. It felt strange to see it, but a good kind of strange. She felt lighter somehow.

Ryder held up her own many-fingered hand and smiled broadly. Her nails were painted in the light green color, with a diagonal lavender stripe crossing the nail next to the middle finger. “We match, see?”

Vetra’s mandibles quirked into a grin. “My talons are purple with a green stripe, and your nails are green with a purple stripe. Isn’t that the opposite of matching?”

Ryder cocked her head and leaned in close, her lips almost touching Vetra’s mouth. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of Ryder: sweat and gun oil, yes, but also something else, something minty and floral. Something uniquely _Artemis_.

“We fit, then,” Ryder said, her voice low enough to be suggestive, even with only one larynx.

Vetra felt Ryder’s hands sliding against the bare plates of her chest, across her shoulders, and down her arms until they reached her hands and twined their fingers together. She opened her eyes to see Ryder looking intently at her with a wicked smile that said she had a plan.

“That nail polish needs time to dry,” she said, the tone of suggestion still bright and vibrant in her voice. “If you do anything with your hands, it’ll ruin all my hard work. You wouldn’t want to do that, now, would you?”

Vetra’s heart beat hard against her chest. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good,” Ryder said and pulled the sheets away, pushing lightly on Vetra’s chest until she leaned back. “Then don’t move.”

A breathy laugh escaped Vetra as she complied, but it was cut short in a sharp gasp as Ryder turned her focus to her next task.


End file.
